Blooming Panic

Like everyone else here, I just want to tell you that I really loved this gem of a game. I was hesitant at first because I've never been a fan of messenger-style VNs, but everyone was gushing about it and I knew I had to give it a shot. I'm so glad that I did. It was so incredibly special. Setting it up as a Discord-like server was such a great approach and was executed wonderfully, and you handled the delicate balance of identity vs autonomy with amazing skill.

I dearly loved all three romances and thought the VAs did a wonderful job, though Toasty was my favorite (and that's not just because I am also a huge FFXIV nerd). Each route walked a new path, so it was always fresh while still being the same server with the same group of loveable friends and fans. The story progression of the routes was so well-paced, and the climax was very satisfying and on-point.

While I loved the story and the romances, the part of this game that shined the most for me was the rest of the cast. All of their personalities were so varied, distinct, and realistic that I constantly found myself thinking, "I know him. I know her. Yep, I know that one, too." They made me laugh, they made me love them, they made me believe they were real people and wish dearly for our friendship to continue long after the credits rolled.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful game with us, and I am so looking forward to seeing it expanded with xyx and any other content you might have planned!

Okay, so wow. This game was such a gem and I HIGHLY recommend it if you like realistic romances. It has some twists to it that definitely don't make it your run of the mill dating simulator, and the three routes felt extremely fresh. It is kind of assumed you will go through all three routes and so the repetition between all three is pretty minimal. All the characters were extremely likeable when they were intended to be, and it felt like a real server in so many ways. You could tell there was a lot of care and attention put into crafting these online personalities, as I felt like I had met similar people in real discord servers. By the third run you I ended up caring a lot about these characters and felt very invested in the server. Overall this was a fantastic experience and throughout my ~6 hours of gameplay (I was so hooked I basically played this until 4AM..) there was never a lull, the game kept me engaged throughout. The humour and writing was incredibly on point!

Gameplay-----------

This was one of THE most engaging UI's for a visual novel I had ever had the pleasure of playing. Exploring the server features, entering video chat, being added to hidden channels was a really exciting experience. I spend almost all my time on discord and I was surprised how giddy I was at something as small as using bot commands lol. The pacing of this game is excellent and none of the parts overstayed their welcome. The intensity of the gameplay is pretty much entirely dictated by who is in the chat and how active the server is, and I love that there are times where everyone is online and actively typing and others where it's a little slow and you get to know some of the server members better. There are also some nice twists and turns by the time you romance NakedToaster and those were really refreshing. The gameplay and UI never got old to me, and the OST had no right being this good.

Story-----------

If you play this game the way the devs intended (recommended) you get an initial two options: a young, immature romance and a heavy mature one. I ended up being unintentionally locked into the immature romance first and knew right away as I was going through his route that this was a bad one for me. I felt all the red flags come up for codependency and some toxic behaviours and and ended up failing his route the first time because of it. I was blown away by how realistic this character was and how this game really didn't shy away from going there. In my second run I was successful in getting the more mature romance, and right as I thought things were calm and chugging along, BAM! I was hit with a huge plot point and that this route would not necessarily be 'easy' either. I was totally taken off guard and never had expected this game to go to this *totally different but almost equally as realistic* place either. I love that it made me question my own code and morals and I either had to jump ship or double down. I was so glad I did double down and it was an extremely rewarding romance, with a lot of depth because of it.

People don't come to you in life as perfect little dolls waiting to be romanced by you. They have their own lives, histories, ambitions and this game was really successful at reflecting that. I went back to complete the first failed run and then went for the third (now unlocked) romance and it was a really endearing experience. I'm really glad I went through the romances in the order I went through because it built upon itself really nicely, and there are so many juxtapositions between the first two that make for compelling character writing. I would say out of them all the mature romance was my favourite, which seems to be the common view here.

is there an actual Discord server for this game? I'd love to rant about how much I love Toasty LMAO

I can't emphasize enough how amazing this game is! I'm not one to post comments, a cliché thing to say I know, but just bear with me. This is one of the best games I played in a looong time, and when I say long, I'm referring to years.

Everything is incredible and beautifully done, all my praise to everyone involved. The writing is spectacular; and so realistic that it can make you forget some of the conversations were scripted, they feel so organic, you guys nailed it! 

And the voice actors melt my heart, my cheeks hurt because I smiled too much! Amazing interpretation! And the song at the beginning? I'm listening to it while writing these, I loved it.

And now for the routes. I played Quest first, and I loved every aspect of it (even that creepy ex was used really well, and it makes me uncomfortable, but I believe that was the goal), and Quest calling the mc angel? Come on, I melted every time he said/texted that. And the way his backstory was presented and how the mc reacted, I loved it. He was my favorite, I couldn't think of how any of the other routes could be better.

The next one I did was Nightowl, and though he was my least favorite of the three, the writing in his route was as spot-on as the other two. And his personality was really interest to see, and his problems were way too relatable.

Now, Toasty route... I left it to the end, as it was said to be the true ending. And his character is just... He was an easy fall for me; cute, easy to tease, funny, and a gamer trying to convert the mc to play Final Fantasy. I was not expecting the twist on his route at all, though it seemed a 180 degrees change on the style of the game, yet, the more I thought about it, there was a little clue here and there (in his own route and the others). And I loved it. The scene where the mc tells him she wants to braid his hair during the call? Omg, that's my favorite scene in the entire game.

On the epilogues; I love them all, though Toasty was my favorite. Until I read the ???, and now I need answers and a new route. Xyx was SO funny (tho everyone was funny in their own way and I laughed more than I imagined).

What more can I say? This game is amazing, I loved it and I can't wait to play more games from you. 

I finished the game.. I'M A QUEST SIMP! GAHD I LOVE THE VOICE! I LOVE HIS CHARACTER! DAMN! anyway... I love all the characters except the nutjob ex.. its really really fun to play with.. I was gonna read the epilogue until i saw the other one.. I was like whaaaa??? and here i am thinking.. "IS THERE ANOTHER ENDING? ANOTHER ROUTE?! IS IT REAL?!" yes me being curious! i seriously would to play it all over again and i'm really in love in the game!

I wanna get the bad ending and i don't know how to... need help!

This game, IS SO GOOD!! I want a sequel oh my god. the voice acting, the art, EVEN THE SCRIPT AND LINES. EVeryone was so cute and hot. oh dear, when i played this game, i felt so single. like man, i did not need that. but anyway, i love everyone, except the ex. son of dogshit. 

anyways! Nightowl, is very much like me, i relate to him heavily a lot, emotional, smooth, and witty? im not sure how to explain honestly, HAHAHA. his voice fitted him so well, i just love everything about him, Im very emotional so i managed to get his route easily the first,,, and man, i wish everyone was real smh.

QUEST!! QUEST THOUGH. one description. gentlemen but inside is a beast. smooth, and that matureness, and oh my god, i was freaking out when he said some of his lines, like yall, you can get down on me Quest <333 his voice, chef's kiss.

TOast! THIS GUY, cute, flustered and shy. Very adorable, and so easy to tease cmon. hes that one lover who would absolutely give in to you and pamper you a lot, a soft lover, i might add. when he laugh, i felt my soul was cleansed. AND HE LOOKS SO PRETTY?? LIKE TOAST YOU HAVE NO RIGHT-  to look that gorgeous??? OMG???? and hes so funny too, like i literally cannot empahise how much i enjoyed playing this game!!

it says it has 6 endings, are those 3 other endings like bad endings?? if so, im like scared to try it out, it would break my heart if they dont end up with the mc. AND ONE FINAL NOTE, XYX??? 

OH MY GOD, i love his pfp, his personality in his chatting, its just so funny, and the EPILOUGE OF HIM?? HELLOOO? ITS ILLEGAL TO PUT A CLIFFHANGER LIKE THAT. IM GONNA COMMIT ARSON NEAR THE LOCAL BANK IF YALL DONT HAVE HIS ROUTE <333 

anywayyy, i love this game, as you can tell from my review, everything was gem, love it. gonna go cry now because i finished it.

okay, so, it took me a while to fully form a review because i wanted to make sure i didn’t miss anything! overall, this game is fantastic. it’s playful, witty and unbelievably funny in a very realistic way (especially if you’ve ever been in a fan server). i absolutely adored all the character interactions and the extra level of depth that the side characters had! i think, often, otome games run the risk of making everything seem very centred around the mc and their love interest which is totally understandable, given that it’s a love story, but it makes the entire universe seem… empty. blooming panic feels so full of life, all of the time, because of the little peeks into the lives of other characters and i love it. the music and the art are both phenomenal and i’m so glad i stumbled across this game!

nightowl: this route came first for me, purely because it was 1am and i thought it would be ironic. i did not expect to get so invested, though. his route hit very close to home, especially with his struggles (to keep it vague) and i’ll be honest! i cried! and it was very cathartic, because it felt like a reminder that there are always people who care and it was such an unexpectedly reassuring message. personality-wise, i adored him. his voice actor did such a great job with conveying his playful attitude and it made the call scenes feel super cosy, if that makes sense. both endings tugged on my heart strings to a ridiculous degree and i will give his route a totally unbiased 10/10. ahem.

quest: i did quest’s route second, since nakedtoaster was advised to be kept for last and i wanted my not-discord mod romance. sue me. one thing that stood out to me in quest’s route was the quiet support he offered the mc. his route seemed very comfortable, in a sense, with an air of maturity you would expect from someone who comes off as responsible (compared to the others, at least). the conflict in his route was another thing i understood on a personal level, so the overarching motif of the past not defining you was really lovely to hear. quest’s voice actor did an amazing job and their voice was so calming to listen to, i wanted to stay on the call forever! unsurprisingly, he’s another 10/10 because sometimes you just need someone to call you angel.

nakedtoaster: a rollercoaster if there ever was one! this route really hit me with all the emotional curveballs and, honestly, it got me crying again but i promise in a good way. toaster was so awkward but genuinely sweet and it endeared me to him when i wasn’t sure if i’d really click with his route. i loved the silly ffxiv references just as much as i loved how flustered he got around mc! a good boy if there ever was one. the voice actor did a spectacular job and i could listen to several voice lines on repeat. i think having his route last was perfect, since the webnovel focuses so much on what change means for people and it’s a recurring theme throughout the game. it gave me a lot to think about, and i’m thankful for that. shockingly, another 10/10.

(but, uh, xyx route when?)

Back again because I can’t stop thinking about the game even after it’s over and if I had to offer one TINY gripe that I really hope can be fixed for future releases, the chat text is extremely small and makes it difficult for visually impaired users! (Such as myself.) Ren’py has built in accessibility options, thankfully, but they’re unfortunately not the most elegant solution, not to mention hard to find for those unfamiliar, and I’d love if anything could be done to give folks options and make their experience even better!

Man, I just finished this game and my only dislike is that it isn't longer. The writing is excellent and like a certain character said in the game, "why do you make me feel like a teenager" lmao. I'm nearing my 30s and this game really made me feel like a teen with the growing romance between the characters. 

In different circumstances I would likely have an issue with the lack of choices along the game, but knowing that this game had to be done quickly make it understandable, and all things considered, I think it still offers a good variety. 

All the three routes are wonderful imo, and all the side characters were amazing to interact with. The writers really captured the feel of being on a discord sever, it felt like actually interacting with real people instead of scripted characters, so kudos to that! Xyx had me dead laughing so often lmao, loved his character. 

The slight mystery element of the game was also nicely incorporated, and all and all, even if it wasn't surprising, it was still very enjoyable. 

Aaaaaand to do a tl;dr: this game is great and if you enjoy harmless drama and humour, you should totally play this.

Is there a xyx route?  I saw the epilogue but no idea how to get to the route? :(

xyx route or we riot

AAAAAAAA dude im so curious pls i thought we would discover quest name oh god 

this..... this is my shit (love u quest <3) UPDATE i only finished the one route yesterday but i played through the rest after work today so get ready folks i have a lot to say and not enough words to say it in (this is gonna be super long i'm so sorry i had to make a list of everything i wanted to say)

okay so just the format is absolutely gorgeous, i have played a Lot of visual novels and like. otome games aasfgds but this is really a cut above and super creative, i love that it's like a tiny discord! the art is impeccable fr like even if we completely disregard the writing and characters (which would be criminal) this is beautiful already i am blessed

the characters are believable, flawed, multifaceted and interesting people INCLUDING the more "side" characters (except for salo he is my grandpa and has done no wrong and i love him). they all have their own opinions and way of interacting with you and each other that makes them seem real - they're not perfect people and will mess up or prioritize themselves over the player which I find doesn't happen in a lot of games like this? you let them be human and i love them for that. salo manages to tackle some of what i think are the most important things to know in life in a short amount of time, even death and grieving and moving on (how did you get that in there????) sometimes uncomfortable things happen in the game and they're not immediately resolved, you sit with that discomfort and the choice to forgive or not and it feels Real. i am feeling emotions!!

the voice acting was awesome, combined with the (i'm running out of synonyms for things that are good) writing made me Fully blush HARD , regularly. i can't even fathom the amount of the work and dedication this took i am so proud of everyone involved in this project! please make more things and let me give you my money <3

tl;dr once i ate this super tasty dessert and i was like damn this is good let me have another and then i did and it was horrible and i felt sick this is exactly like that Except i feel great forever and i've ascended to a new level of consciousness. thank you so much for this, i really needed it and i had no idea :)

This is nothing short of adorable and now I really want to see a sequel! Would you be willing to release the emojis/stickers? I want to plaster Nathaniel all over my own servers <3 While Quest was my favorite route, I absolutely ADORED Toast’s VA and think Chartlatean did an especially impressive job! Really looking forward to any further projects y’all choose to release!